FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers:
Iran avenges Jordan loss in style to go top in Group C
Iran avenged its February defeat to Jordan with a commanding 67-49 victory at Prince Hamza Arena in Amman, leading for more than 37 minutes and never allowing the hosts to mount a serious challenge after the opening exchanges.
The victory lifted Iran to the top of Group C with a 4-1 record in the first round of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
The turning point came early in the opening quarter. With 7:07 remaining, forward Arsalan Kazemi finished a fast-break layup to tie the game at 2-2. Just over a minute later, with 6:05 left, Seyyed Mahdi Jafari drove baseline and converted a reverse layup to give Iran a 5-2 lead – an advantage it would never surrender.
During a decisive stretch from 8:36 to 5:30 of the first quarter, Iran outscored Jordan 7-2, controlled the boards with five rebounds, and committed no turnovers. Jordan managed just one field goal from five attempts and failed to record either an assist or a turnover during that span, as Iran’s composure set the tone for the remainder of the contest.
Kazemi anchored Iran’s effort at both ends of the floor, finishing with seven points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in 32:04. His 20 efficiency rating and +11 plus/minus reflected his influence whenever he was on the court.
Guard Mohammad Mahdi Heydari led all Iranian scorers with 17 points, adding two rebounds and four assists in 28:41 while shooting 7-of-11 from two-point range. Mobin Sheikhi contributed 13 points, four rebounds, one assist, and three steals in 26:14, knocking down four of his nine three-point attempts. Off the bench, Salar Monji chipped in five points and seven rebounds, posting an efficiency rating of 11 and a game-best +20 in just 15:41.
For Jordan, Ahmad Al Dwairi recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in 34:44, while also adding one assist, one block, and a 20 efficiency rating. However, his efforts were not enough to ignite a comeback.
Iran’s biggest run came in the first quarter, when it reeled off seven unanswered points in just 1:37 to overturn a 2-0 deficit into a 7-2 lead. Kazemi sparked the surge with five points on perfect 2-of-2 shooting while grabbing a rebound.
Jordan’s only lead was 2-0 with 8:36 remaining in the opening quarter. Iran’s largest advantage reached 25-16 with 4:37 left in the second period before the visitors steadily extended the margin.
Iran led for 37:07, while Jordan was in front for only 1:29. The game was tied for 1:24.
Iran held a 17-11 advantage after the opening quarter before extending its lead to 29-22 at halftime. The visitors effectively put the game away in the third quarter by stretching the margin into double digits, and although Jordan edged the final period, the outcome was never in doubt.
Iran will conclude the first round of qualifying against Syria in Amman on Sunday.
In a rescheduled second-window fixture, Iran defeated Syria 72-68 in Amman last Monday to secure a top-two finish in the group and book its place in the second round.
Under the qualification format, the top three teams from each of the four first-round groups advance to the second round. The 12 qualifiers will be divided into two groups, with Group A paired with Group C and Group B with Group D, while carrying over results against fellow qualifiers. The top three teams from each second-round group, along with the best fourth-placed team, will qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.